The chayote (Sechium edule) is an edible plant, which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or more commonly on trellises.

Origin and distribution

It was domesticated in Mexico and used by the Aztecs and the Mayans, but can now be found cultivated across the world, primarily for its fruit, but also, in some regions, for its root.

Description

The fruit is roughly pear shaped, has a green skin, white flesh and a single large flattened pip. They range from 10 to 20 cm in length. The flesh has a fairly bland taste, and a texture described as a cross between a potato and a cucumber. The seed has a nutty flavour

Culinary and medicinal uses

Although most people are familiar only with the fruit, which in culinary terms is a vegetable, the root, stem, seeds, and leaves are all edible.

The fruit, which does not need to be peeled, can be added, raw, to salads, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, boiled or pickled. Both the fruit and the seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C.

The tuberous part of the root is starchy and is both eaten by humans and used as cattle fodder.

The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflamatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to disolve kidney stones.

Alternate names

Chayote, pronounced chy-O-tay, is the Nahuatl name used in many parts of Latin America and the rest of the world for the cultivated varieties of this plant.

Within Latin America it has a vast variety of names acording to the region and language of the people who use the plant, including 'tayote', 'chocho', 'gayota', 'chuchu'

In other parts of the world it is also known variously as;
'cahiota' (Portuguese), 'cajot' (Russian), 'chocho' (English), 'christophene' (French), 'chouchou' (English), 'mango squash' (English), 'mirliton' (Cajun), 'sayote' (Phillippines). 'pipinella' (Portuguese), 'vegetable pear' (English), 'vilati vanga' (India), and 'zucca' (Italian).

External Links

• images found via google
• Gourmet Sleuth
• neglected crops - Chayote

References

• Rafael Lira Saade. 1996. Chayote Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. 8. Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. ISBN 92-9043-298-5 available in pdf format